Our Favorite Merry & Bright Bubbly Booze for the Holiday Season

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season it can be difficult to remember one of the most important pieces to the holiday puzzle … wine! Whether you are giving it as a gift or looking for something to pair with your holiday feast, here are five of our favorite, although unexpected, wines that we hope you’ll try this holiday season!

Cheers to the holiday season!

Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Forever thought to be for New Year’s Eve and celebrations of the like, champagne has now proven to be perfect for any day that ends in “Y.” Whether large or small, any holiday celebration should begin with a glass of champagne to send the signal that it’s time to celebrate the holiday and let any stresses wash away!

For a true champagne, Foxcroft Wine Co.’s buyer and certified Sommelier Michael Corcoran suggests Guy Dumangin — a vintage grower champagne that’s very rich with lots of toffee, butterscotch and vanilla notes. “I would pick it over Dom Perignon,” says Michael. For $52.99 a bottle, you can’t beat the price!

Andrew Arcovio of Reid’s Fine Foods in Myers Park suggests getting a bottle of Salmon-Billecart champagne another great selection straight from Champagne, France. We personally love the pale salmon pink color. You can purchase it at Reid’s for $150 a bottle.

Any wine from the Stags Leap District

Hosting a wine dinner or need a special wine for your favorite Sommelier? Stop the guesswork and pick any wine grown in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley. This 5- to 7-mile stretch of land inside the Napa Valley is widely regarded as one of the best wine growing regions in the United States. Stags Leap is blessed with long, warm days that are cooled very quickly at night from the mountain air, which lends itself to a wine with a near-perfect balance of acid and sugar.

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Andrew recommends a bottle of The Leap Cabernet from Stags’ Leap Winery. This selection has very distinctive flavors of blackberry, black plum and blueberry. Reid’s carries it for $51.99.

Foxcroft Wine Co. carries a 2013 Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon from Shafer Vineyards — a highly regarded vineyard in Napa — called the One Point Five that Michael says is a well-crafted Cab that is not over-the-top or over-oaked. Purchase a bottle for $97.99.

Chenin Blanc

Known as Vouvray in France, where wines are labeled for the wine region rather than the grape, this wine is similar to Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. You are sure to please a wide range of palates with this wine. Buy it for yourself and to give as gifts to your white wine-loving friends. Your friends will remember your gift throughout the year as it leaves a great first impression.

Michael recommends the 2004 DeMorgenzon’s Maestro from Foxcroft Wine Co. — it’s a full-bodied white wine with notes of apple, white peach, honeysuckle and jasmine, and it smells like a pink Starburst! There were only 264 cases imported, so you’ll want to grab a bottle for $26.99 ASAP!

Vermentino

No time? No problem. Keep this wine on hand for the impromptu holiday gathering, or a night of watching binging Love Actually, The Holiday and Bridget Jones’s Diary. This light, crisp white wine can be thrown together with a plate of cheese, fruit and crackers or goes perfectly with a big batch of popcorn for a girls’ night.

Andrew suggests stopping by Reid’s, where there are several great selections to choose from ranging from $16.99 to $22.